Author
Topic: Wordery and hardback books (Read 953 times)

I buy trades from a variety of places, including 2000 AD's own shop. I am, however, trying to scale back Amazon purchases, in part because of the trend of that organisation towards monopoly, and also because its pricing is now frequently not that great. If I'm going to pay close to RRP, I'll buy direct.

To that end, I've been increasingly using Wordery, which has excellent customer service, decent prices (not least when Sterling strengthens), and happens to be British. (No, I don't subscribe to BRITAIN FOREVAR, but if you've the option to support local companies, it's good to take them before said companies are eaten or vanish entirely.)

So, the point: is anyone here using Wordery, and, if so, how have things been for you with hardbacks? I've just had two cracks at buying Deadworld, and both books arrived in a sorry state. The problem is Wordery whacks books inside card containers, but doesn't stop them moving. A ding on a corner and the book's done for. First time round, they made a three-way offer: refund; 50% off; replacement. So they cannot be faulted on that scale. But it feels wasteful to be returning damaged books, and I'm therefore wondering if this has been bad luck, or if it's typical of Wordery with this kind of book.

(Basically, they need to do a Hachette. Since that company changed its packaging, the partworks have been arriving in much better condition. They're not perfect, but I've not had to ask for a replacement for damage – only for misprints.)

I'm just having a chat with their customer support people. Interestingly, they're rolling out new packaging across their warehouse, to ensure infill is used to stop books moving about. I'm told that's being put into parcels "right now", which should stop the problem. Also, it turns out replacements are supposed to be fully manually packaged with bubble wrap, to make doubly sure they arrive in good condition. (The attitude of whoever I'm speaking to is… rather different from Amazon. Last time they lobbed something over our fence and I complained, I was curtly told: You didn't tell us not to.)

Having walked away from Abebooks for not being as positive for booksellers as it makes out, I looked into Wordery and they're a warehousing operation by the wholesaler Bertrams which sells direct to consumers, so independent booksellers who use Bertrams as their wholesaler now find their wholesaler competing with them.

I've moved over to hive.co.uk who not only source books from indie book stores but you can get free home delivery or collect in a store, and you can also select which store benefits from your custom. Not the absolute cheapest but have had nothing but good customer service from them so far.

Fair enough regarding Wordery's background. The customer service, at least, is sterling. (I was just told not to return the damaged item, and if it's good enough for a charity store to donate it instead.)

As for AbeBooks, that's owned by Amazon and so is a bit of a no-no for me (in my 'try to buy less from Amazon stance').

Edit: I just checked out Hive. The nearest stores to me are in Guildford and Reading, and so I won't be using that option, sadly. Home delivery could be a thing though, and so I'll bear them in mind next time I'm buying some books.

I have never had a damaged book from Wordery but always worry whenever I buy from them (which is often) because of the card envelopes they choose to use. Great news then that they are changing that and that they're customer service is good.

I am, however, trying to scale back Amazon purchases, in part because of the trend of that organisation towards monopoly, and also because its pricing is now frequently not that great. If I'm going to pay close to RRP, I'll buy direct.

Plus they've rather surreptitiously changed the delivery conditions on prime. It is no longer automatically 'next day delivery' and can be anywhere up to 3 or 4 days later delivery. There also seems to be no rhyme or reason to the criteria that are applied to the length of time it can take.

Yeah, I've noticed that. It slipped to two days in many cases a while back, but now it's sometimes shifting further. In effect, you're now sometimes paying for Prime to get the free delivery service you can get for free. I suspect they're in part relying on media (all the video stuff), people forgetting they're subscribed, and laziness when it comes to Prime now.

My wife still loves us having it. I'm not keen. And if the price hike the US has had comes here, I'm unsure whether a continued Prime subscription will be justified (not least given that we're not really between us watching any Amazon Prime telly right now).

Since Man in the High Castle has finished and Netflix seems to have cornered the market for streamed alternative entertainment, it is hard to justify Prime video. In fact, there is so much crap on there it is unreal. Granted there is a lot of crap on most channels these days.